The LAMP team included several of Aurorasaurs superuser group, the Aurorasaurus Ambassadors, who were thrilled to work together on a resident science project around the mission. As part of the citizen science partnership, the Aurorasaurus and LAMP groups requested person researchers questions about pulsating aurora. Here are their answers..
What is the difference in between the aurora that looks like a drape and that which just looks like a fuzzy spot or cloud in the sky?
Auroras that appear like drapes are called “discrete auroras,” and auroras that appear like a fuzzy patch or cloud are called “scattered auroras.” Theres a lot of science that enters into which makes a look at what time of night, and it can vary depending upon your area..
If you are viewing from the auroras typical location at high latitudes– for example, from Fairbanks, Alaska, or Reykjavik, Iceland– you can see auroras triggered by geomagnetic storms, which are caused by intense storms of particles and energy from the Sun. Both scattered and discrete auroras take place as part of the natural development of the more typical process called a substorm.
A scientist views aurora from Poker Flat, Alaska. Credit: Dr. Alexa Halford.
The aurora you see will likely be caused by a geomagnetic storm if you are enjoying from mid-latitudes like North Dakota or southern Alberta. More powerful storms produce both types of aurora and tend to press the auroras further down towards the equator..
Is it typical to have pulsating aurora and other sort of aurora in the sky together?
Yes, it is extremely common for pulsating aurora to appear alongside other types. Depending on your place, you may see part or all of the sky pulsating. Just like discrete auroras, pulsating auroras fan out throughout great distances and show up from different point of views, based on your location. You could even find yourself in an unique area where, in addition to pulsating auroras, you can see discrete aurora progressing to the north and diffuse aurora pulsing to the south, with an unique edge between the two..
There are likewise numerous different sub-types of pulsating aurora. Some kind shapes that hold their edges like a patch switching on and off, while some “whoosh” on and off in curling, dragonlike shapes. Another type of aurora forms shapes that are unusually flat, like pancakes in the sky. Seeing among these types may mean that theres some interesting science going on in the Earths ionized upper environment, or in the way particles drizzle down from space. Citizen researchers photos of these displays from multiple areas might assist researchers discover more clues to the mystery of how they happen..
I wonder about the speed of the pulsating aurora and what makes it dance so quick. It is almost like remaining in an outdoor bar!
Pulsating auroras can dance gradually or rapidly, and can flash both pink and green. When multiple things are occurring at when, they can particularly offer a bar result. Here are two aspects that contribute to the lights turning on and off, which is a time-based or “temporal” effect..
This picture of a vibrant aurora was taken in Delta Junction, Alaska, on April 10, 2015. All auroras are created by energetic electrons, which rain below Earths magnetic bubble and engage with particles in the upper atmosphere to develop radiant lights that stretch throughout the sky. Credit: Image courtesy of Sebastian Saarloos
NASAs resident science jobs are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the general public. Through these collaborations, volunteers called resident scientists have actually assisted make countless crucial scientific discoveries. Aurorasaurus is one such task that tracks auroras worldwide in genuine time via reports on its site and on Twitter..
Aurorasaurus often partners with other organizations to match science with resident science and recently Aurorasauraus partnered with NASAs Loss through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) mission. Early on the early morning of Saturday, March 5, 2022, the LAMP mission effectively flew, flying directly into a pulsating aurora..
LAMP rocket launch. Credit: LAMP Mission.
Pulsating auroras are wacky, shy auroral types. They happen within diffuse auroras, and look like pulsating patches towards the equator that turn on and off every few seconds. Due to the fact that auroras expose undetectable structures and pulsating auroras are caused by electrons with substantial quantities of energy, pulsating auroras are essential for studying how our world gets energy from space.
Put these together and you can get fantastic, rapid display screens!
Can I see pulsating aurora in Washington state?
Yes, pulsating aurora might take place at mid-latitudes during larger geomagnetic storms. Watch on Aurorasaurus and our Storm Tracker chart to assist track auroral activity. And if you see pulsating aurora, you can make a citizen science report to Aurorasaurus! Pulsating auroras can be massive, and cover hundreds of miles, so the more places they are reported from, the more our clinical understanding can grow. The project is grateful to all those who sent reports throughout the LAMP objective campaign..
Why is it essential to send instruments above the pulsating aurora to determine it? What things cant be determined from the ground or satellites?
While satellites and ground-based observations can capture some aspects, we can get a better image of the reason for auroral dynamics by collecting particles within or extremely close to the aurora. To do this, scientists send out instruments to collect data at and just above the location of the aurora, using an unique type of rocket known as a sounding rocket, which can fly into auroras..
Sounding rockets supply a distinct way to catch information about the aurora in situ in regions that are otherwise hard to sample. Sounding rockets likewise move more gradually than satellites, so they can better capture rapidly-moving phenomena like auroras in charming information. This can assist scientists discover more about “microphysics,” the physics of waves interacting with small, charged particles. On March 5, 2022, a sounding rocket released LAMP to about 267 miles up where it flew through a pulsating aurora..
Dr. Allison Jaynes analyzes data on the night of the launch. Credit: Mike Shumko.
On March 5, 2022, a sounding rocket introduced LAMP to about 267 miles up where it flew through a pulsating aurora. In addition, LAMP likewise had two cameras on board to take images of the aurora, from a Japanese group including members from JAXA, Nagoya University, Tohoku University, Kyushu Institute of Technology, and the University of Electro-Communications. Because the rocket itself turns about once per 2nd, the cameras were mounted on a “de-spun” platform. The platform turns in the opposite direction of the rocket at the exact same rate as it spins, so the cameras can remain relatively still and take clear images. The cam supplied real-time still images of the pulsating patches to the scientists on the ground. This was the very first time that an electronic camera with a de-spun platform mounted to a rocket has actually been effectively demonstrated!.
Simultaneous pictures of pulsating aurora from the two cameras attached to LAMP. Credit: AIC-S1/ AIC-S2 team.
Has rocket person science been done before?
Yes! Aurorasaurus assisted link two-woman resident science group Hearts in the Ice with a rocket mission in Norway during their time overwintering in Svalbard. Learn more here..
Whats it like to aid with a mission like this?.
Pretty remarkable, according to Aurorasaurus Ambassador and senior undergraduate trainee at the University of North Dakota, Vincent Ledvina, who aided with the launch:.
I simply got back from Fort Yukon, Alaska, where Aurorasaurus helped connect me with an opportunity to help with the NASA LAMP sounding rocket objective. It was satisfying and mind-blowing to view the synergy, and I am grateful to Aurorasaurus and the LAMP group for opening this door to me. Seeing all the moving parts (literally and figuratively) that have to come together in order for the objective to be a success makes me realize how crucial communication and leadership remain in science. Logistics in remote areas is an obstacle I never ever completely recognized till this objective. I was staying at an Air Force station, I only had access to a low-bandwidth satellite internet connection with no cell service, so the most reliable interaction was a landline phone that looked straight from the 1980s!
While I had some sense of how aurora electronic cameras work from the North Dakota Dual Auroral Camera (NoDDAC) task, I lastly got a taste of what genuine science-grade cameras are like. My job was to make certain three special electronic cameras– a few of which were from the Japanese rocket group– were running when the LAMP rocket introduced, to record video of pulsating aurora. The video will be associated with information the rocket gathered as it flew through the aurora.
An avid professional photographer himself, Vincent Ledvina took 40,000 of his own images throughout the journey and made this lovely collection.
Pulsating aurora is a fascinating and strange phenomenon, and Auroasaurus looks forward to seeing what the data gathered by LAMP will reveal. They are grateful to all the person scientists who sent in concerns– particularly Michelle and Tracy– sent pictures of pulsating aurora, and shared information about the mission! Thank you for your interest and contributions..
Report from Aurorasaurus site.
As part of the person science cooperation, the Aurorasaurus and LAMP groups asked for citizen scientists questions about pulsating aurora. If you are watching from the auroras usual area at high latitudes– for example, from Fairbanks, Alaska, or Reykjavik, Iceland– you can see auroras triggered by geomagnetic storms, which are triggered by intense storms of particles and energy from the Sun. Much like discrete auroras, pulsating auroras fan out across fantastic ranges and are visible from different point of views, based on your area. My task was to make sure three unique video cameras– some of which were from the Japanese rocket team– were running when the LAMP rocket launched, to capture video of pulsating aurora.
Because auroras expose invisible structures and pulsating auroras are triggered by electrons with big amounts of energy, pulsating auroras are crucial for studying how our planet gets energy from space.
Pulsating auroras we think are triggered by unique waves called “chorus waves” engaging with particles in near-Earth space. The frequency of groups of chorus waves is the frequency at which the particles are being thrown into the upper environment, and therefore the frequency of the irregular pulsations that you see.
The colors of aurora are made when atoms and molecules in the upper environment are energized and then release that extra energy as light. Different gases make different colors, and the release process happens at different speeds for various kinds.